Christopher 'Crip" McWilliams Near Death

26 May 2008Irish National Liberation Army volunteer Christopher 'Crip' McWilliamsis in a hospital in Lourdes awaiting death from lukemia. Friends havesaid he is likely to have no more than a day or two before death takeshim.

The comrades of the International Republican Socialist Network joinin paying tribute to this brave republican socialist warrior who brokeout of the INLA wing in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh, crossed the roofwith a gun that had been smuggled into the prison and ended the lifeof Billy 'King Rat' Wright, the neo-fascist leader of the Loyalist VolunteerForce.

McWilliams grew up in a republican neighborhood in West Belfast. His brother Paul was shot and killed by the British Army when hewas just 16 years old. He joined the INLA and In 1984 was jailedon a 14 year sentence after a gun battle in a Lenadoon flat duringwhich INLA volunteer Paul "Bonanza" McCann was killed.

In 1991 he was made to take responsiblity for the shooting ofbar manager Colm Mahon by the IPLO to get the actual shooteroff. While in Maghaberry, Crip re-joined the INLA and carried outa daring, armed protest while incarcerated there. He became a goodfriend of INLA leader Gino Gallagher while in gaol.

After being transferred to Long Kesh, Crip lead a three person teamof INLA volunteers out of H-Block 6 on December 1997, that includedJohn Kenneway and John Glennon, as well as Crip. Crip shot BillyWright three times, killing him. They shot Wright as he sat in a buswaiting to be taken to a meeting with his girlfriend in the prison's visitingarea. All three volunteers were sentenced to life imprisonment, but releasedafter two years, due to the terms of the GFA. When released, Cripcommented about the shooting of Billy Wright:

"As an INLA volunteer at the time I have no regrets, but I want toemphasise that as an individual I took no personal satisfaction outof playing my role to eliminate Billy Wright.

"A decision was taken to eliminate Billy Wright solely because he was theman who had opted to direct a ruthless campaign of slaughter of innocentCatholics from inside Long Kesh."

John Kenneway described the operation:

"'When we cut out of wing and got on to the roof we were actuallydepending on the screws to be around, to see us. We wanted themto be there to sound the alarm, which leads to the automatic lock-downof the gates. We got into the courtyard and Wright's van was stuckthere because the gates were automatically locked. If there had beenno alarm the truth is that Wright might have got away and survived. Thejoke is that the screws thought we were trying to escape, that's whythey shut the gates. Had they not have seen us the gate would havebeen open and the van could have driven away when we pulled outthe guns."

Comrades of the IRSN who knew Crip personally were impressed withby his thoughtful, soft-spoken manner and the bravery he demonstratedas an INLA volunteer and as an ex-prisoner of war battling lukemia. Thecomrades of the IRSN offer our respect and our sympathy to him, ashe confronts the end of his long struggle lukemia. We recognize thatCrip McWilliams will be remembered as a republican socialist hero forgenerations to come.

Peter UrbanComrade, International Republican Socialist Network

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